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Jayden Parkinson trial: New CCTV image of teenager leaving home to meet her killer

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by Ben Wilkinson, Crime Reporter, also covering Barton and Wood Farm. Call me on (01865) 425427

THE image of Jayden Parkinson leaving the hostel where she lived on her way to meet Ben Blakeley has been shown to the jury at Oxford Crown Court today.

Today the murder trial jury heard evidence from support workers at the One Foot Forward hostel in Oxford who said the 17-year-old left the hostel to talk to Blakeley after she found out she was pregnant.

Blakeley has admitted the manslaughter of Jayden, whose body was found in his uncle's grave in Didcot, but he has denied murdering her.

The jury heard Jayden was in a volatile and abusive relationship with 22-year-old Blakeley when she arrived at the hostel and was told by him not to leave her room.

But Joanne Temple, a support worker at the hostel, said Jayden started to socialise with other teenagers after she broke up with Blakeley.

She said: “It was really nice to see Jayden come out of her shell. She appeared happy and was acting like you would want a 17-year-old to be in a house full of teenagers.

“She was very popular and got on well with all the other residents.”

But Jayden found out she was pregnant and was killed by Blakeley when she went to Didcot to meet him to talk about it on December 3 last year. This image shows Jayden leaving the hostel in Iffley Road at between 3.30pm and 4pm.

Julian Meade, a support worker at the hostel, told the jury Jayden had told him she wanted to keep the baby.

Sharon Heath, a project manager at the hostel, said Jayden had talked about training to be a hairdresser and a beautician after the break-up.

She said: “She said she wanted to move on with her life.”

Blakeley, of Christchurch Road, admits perverting the course of justice, as does a 17-year-old who cannot be named because of his age. The teenager denies preventing the lawful burial of Jayden.

The trial continues.

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